Chapter 18
Plasma Cannon
When Red returned to Gallion he was met by Threebeard and General Zitor who had come to wish him well on his voyage to Earth.
“You’re doing a brave thing going to Earth to confront the Fleet,” Threebeard said, almost apologetically. “You will be a hero and your name will be remembered for thousands of cycles.”
An eerie feeling came over Red. He got the feeling Threebeard didn’t expect him to return.
“You know,” General Zitor said. “That plasma cannon you’ve got on your new T-73 may be your only hope of knocking out an attack cruiser. If you come at it in stealth mode and get up close you’ll be able to punch a hole in it the size of a Zodillo. The only problem is you have to come out of stealth mode to use it.”
“I do?” Red asked.
“Yes, I’m afraid so. It takes so much energy to fire it you can’t be in stealth at the same time. So, you’ll be vulnerable for a few tiks before and after you fire it. Hopefully, your adversary won’t be able to react quickly enough to lock onto you.”
“Wonderful,” Red said sarcastically. “My luck, I’ll only get to fire it one time.”
“No, no,” General Zitor said. “What I’m trying to tell you is: don’t go after the attack cruiser alone. I’d suggest fifty fighters approach from two angles and then, after the battle has been going awhile, you come in with your T-73 from the flank and catch the cruiser’s captain by surprise. I’m sure you will be in and out before they know what’s happened.”
“That will work once, anyway,” Threebeard cautioned. “You’ll have to come up with something different the second time. I’m sure the attack cruiser’s computers are linked and, even if you destroy one of them, the others will figure out how it happened and make modifications to its defenses.”
“Okay,” Red said, shaken a bit by the dark mood of Tarizon’s oldest and wisest. General Zitor and Threebeard embraced Red, and then he was driven to the barracks to collect his personal belongings to take aboard ES 52. A kyloon later the cargo holds were secured and the main disembarkation ramp was raised for takeoff. Red was sitting behind Captain Sparten on the bridge when the order to lift off was given. He took a deep breath, trying to control his anxiety. It was hard for him to believe he was on his way to Earth. Leek had told him so many good things about the planet that he really wanted to see it for himself, but he wondered if he’d ever actually make it there.
Suddenly he was slammed back into his seat as the ship rose quickly. The initial jolt frightened him, and the reality of the mission’s probable futility suddenly struck him like a molten spear. How could they possibly defeat the Intergalactic Fleet? It was insanity to even try. If it wasn’t for Leek being from Earth this mission wouldn’t be happening. This will be my last battle for Tarizon! I’m too young to die. Oh, God and Sandee: how did I let myself be recruited for such a futile effort? He began to wail and shake violently. Captain Sparten looked back at him in horror. Red opened his mouth in a vain attempt to speak and then, before he could form any words, he passed out.
The next day Red awoke to find himself in a bed with tubes and monitors attached to him. As his vision cleared he saw a woman smiling down at him. He tried to sit up, but she put a firm hand on him.
“Stay put, Captain. You’re in sick bay. Don’t be alarmed.”
“Sick bay? What happened?”
“You had an anxiety attack, I think. You’ve been pushing yourself too much. Going out on a dangerous mission to Clarion, losing a friend, going back again without any rest, and then suddenly being thrust onto a shuttle going to Earth. That’s a lot for the human mind to process in short order.”
Red sighed. “How embarrassing.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I told everybody it was something you ate.”
Red smiled. “That was nice of you. What’s your name?”
“Lt. Marz. You can call me Lora when we’re alone. I’m the ship’s medical officer.”
“So, how long have I been out?”
“About eight kyloons, but don’t worry. You haven’t missed anything. That’s the nice thing about going to Earth. You don’t have to rush around all the time. You’ve got nothing but time to burn.”
“So, I take it you’ve been to Earth a few times.”
“Oh, yes. Seven round trips.”
“So, you were part of the repopulation project?”
“Right.”
“Have you spent much time on Earth?”
“Actually I am an Earthchild, from New Jersey, so I’m pretty familiar with the planet. On each trip I took a few weeks of shore leave.”
“They just let you wander around the planet alone?”
“We had to travel in pairs, and there were a lot of restrictions as to what we could do and where we could go, but they usually gave us enough rope to have a good time.”
“I hope there’s time for sightseeing this trip, but somehow I doubt it,” Red lamented.
“Well, if there is, I’ll show you around.”
Red’s face lit up. “Would you? That would be great.”
As they were talking Captain Sparten walked in. “So, you’re alive.”
Red frowned. “Yes. I’m so sorry about ruining your takeoff. I don’t know what caused it.”
“It must have been something you ate before your mission to Clarion. I don’t think you ate after that, did you?”
“No.”
“Oh, well. Nothing like a dramatic takeoff. When you’re feeling better I’ll have someone show you to your quarters so you can settle in.”
“I’ll take him, Captain,” Lt. Marz said. “Not much action around the sick bay yet.”
“Good. See to it, then. Hope to see you at dinner,” Captain Sparten said.
“Yes, sir,” Red replied.
After a rough start things settled down for Red, and he got more rest than he needed. His relationship with Lora grew as time passed, and the two became constant companions when they weren’t on duty. They also spent a lot of time in each other’s bed as the nights were long and lonely aboard the ship. Midway along their voyage to Earth, Red decided it was time for him to get to know his T-73 and get some practice firing his plasma cannon. He asked the Captain about it early one morning.
“Captain, tomorrow we have to stop and place a com beacon. I was wondering if I could get a little time in my T-73. It would be good for the other pilots to get a little practice in as well.”
The Captain nodded. “You’re right. It’s getting a little boring around here; we could use a combat exercise.”
“Good. Then I’ll make preparations. I’ll need a target. Is there something we could drop out in space for me to shoot at?”
“Sure, let me think about it. I’ll come up with something.”
The next day, after the beacon had been dropped off and before ES 52 returned to FTL flight, two squadrons of fighters left the shuttle. Yellow Squadron was commanded by Lt. Dirc Sham and Green Squadron was commanded by Lt. Lin Leary. A huge piece of scrap metal was dropped as a target. The two squadrons took turns attacking and defending the target. The fighters were not armed but used computer simulated bullets and lasers to rate their performance. While they practiced, Red tested out his fighter in stealth mode.
“R3 flying by,” Red advised.
“ES 52 on the lookout,” Captain Sparten said.
The big fighter showed up on the radar screen and flew past the shuttle’s bow. It wasn’t visible for long but it had clearly gone by. A few tiks later Red came back on. “R3 flying by in stealth. Keep your eyes open.”
“ES 52, eyes wide.”
The eight crew members on the bridge watched the big front window but saw nothing. The radar specialist scrutinized his radar screens and sensors but all remained quiet. Red came back on. “R3 here. Fly by complete. Did you see me?”
“Negative, R3, no trace of you,” Captain Sparten replied. “Let’s try it from different angles.”
“
Affirmative,” Red said.
After they’d thoroughly tested the T-73 for stealth mode effectiveness, Red was ready to try out his plasma cannon. He settled in behind Green Squadron and hailed them.
“This is R3 to Green Squadron. Come in.”
“G1 here.”
“When you guys finish your next attack I’m going to come from the flank and try out my p-cannon. You’ll need to clear out your squadron so nobody will get scorched.”
“Affirmative, R3.”
Green Squadron came in for their attack run. They skirmished for a while with Yellow Squadron and then peeled off. When Red saw them retreating, he put his fighter in stealth mode and flew straight at his drifting target. When he was almost on top of it he came out of stealth mode and was about to fire when he realized he was so close he’d never, in a real situation, be able to avoid crashing into the battle cruiser.
“R3 aborting attack. This is tricky business. Let me try it again.”
He circled around and this time came out of stealth mode a little earlier. He fired the plasma cannon, shooting a thick blob of energy ahead of him that flew like a bloated bolt of lightning. The crew watching the attack gasped in wonder as the target vaporized upon impact. Red had been so worried about avoiding the simulated attack cruiser that he didn’t see the plasma stream or its impact. He watched a video of it later with Captain Sparten and Lora and marveled at its beauty and power.
“That’s quite a weapon they’ve come up with,” he said to Captain Sparten. “Is there any way to shield the ship from it?”
“No. Once it’s coming at you, it’s all over. It will cut through the toughest metals we’ve got like a knife through paper.”
“So, we could destroy the attack cruisers with this weapon?” Red said.
“Theoretically. The trick is surviving long enough to do the job.”
“I’m going to need a lot more training time,” Red said. “It’s a lot different flying out here in space. You don’t have as much maneuverability, and I’m going to need that to get clear of the other attack cruisers after firing the plasma cannon.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of opportunity for more training. We’ve a lot more beacons to drop.”
“Yeah, but every hour we spend training allows the Fleet to get a little closer to us.”
“I know. But we’re keeping track of it. We won’t let them get past us.”
“I hope not, since we’ve got the only weapon that can destroy the Fleet,” Red said.
The Captain stood up. “I’ve got to get ready for dinner. See you two later.”
When the Captain was gone Lora took Red’s hand. “You did good out there.”
“Not really,” Red said. “I didn’t feel in control. It’s hard to make sharp turns in space. I need a lot more work.”
“Well, the Captain said you’d get it.”
“I know, but why did I have to end up with the only weapon that can destroy a battle cruiser? Why didn’t they give it to Leek?”
“He left too soon. This just came off the assembly line. It’s one of a kind.”
“I know and I’m glad we have it. It’s just so much responsibility. If I screw up, our entire mission may fail.”
“You won’t screw up. The fact that you’re so worried about mastering the T-73 is a good sign. You’re going to train hard until you feel comfortable and have the necessary confidence to do the job.”
He looked at her and smiled. “Thanks. I’m glad someone has faith in me.”
She kissed him. “I do. I’m also hungry. Let’s go get ready for dinner.”
They left and went back to Lora’s quarters. They took a shower, after which things between them got out of control and they never made it to dinner. Later that night they went to the observation deck to see the King’s Nebula, which they were passing within fifty light-cycles of. Whenever circumstances allowed, they loved to sit, snuggled in each other’s arms, and gaze out into the vastness of space. It was a different show every night and they always saw so many new and magnificent sights. Red felt warm and safe in Lora’s arms, and he dreaded the fact that their journey would soon be over and he’d have to face his unsought destiny.
Tarizon, Conquest Earth, Tarizon Trilogy Vol 3 Page 23